Is a degree a waste of $ for kid w/o specific career plans

amother

Lemon

Tue, May 04 2021, 6:11 pm

Obviously, there are both sides to this, and in general, a degree (Bachelors/Masters) can be be super helpful in finding a job, making money, and can count as hishtadlus towards a parnassah. On the other hand, I know many people who have degrees and do not use them, whether they used them for a little bit and saw they never really liked the career they pursued or that it's not suitable for a frum woman, etc. etc. It still counts as hishtadlus that they obtained a degree, but they spent a lot of money, and it didn't help them. In fact, some people are still paying off their loans. Money shouldn't neccesarily be a factor in deciding if one should go to college if they have a career they would like to pursue; however, if they have no interest in obtaining a degree and don't have a specific career in mind, it may not be the best idea since it can put them in a place where they have loans to pay off and a degree they are uninterested in using. It is difficult to make a decision like this when one is young and no one knows how life plays out, but I do think it is important to sit down and make a decision to the best of your knowledge since blindly going to college with no idea of what one wants or enjoys is not a great idea. Wishing all those who need to make this decision much siyata dishmaya, and may they find satisfaction and accomplishment in all they pursue!

amother

cornflower

Tue, May 04 2021, 9:14 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Dd is graduating high school in about a month. She feels peer pressure to get a degree, but she has no idea what she wants to do career-wise and isn’t a motivated go getter type. Dh and I both have graduate degrees and work in professional fields. We moved more to the right hashkafically than how we were raised, so our kids were raised yeshivish but we weren’t. For us it wasn’t a question to go to college - everyone did. But for my dd, who wants to start dating in a year, we’re not so sure. She feels like she needs to get a degree but also hopes to move to Lakewood when she’s married and have a bunch of kids. I know a lot of my friends feel they wasted money paying for college when their dds didn’t finish their degrees bc they bH got married. The dds are all working office jobs now and doing fine. I don’t want to throw money away. I also don’t want dd to take out loans and be paying them off forever. For a kid who has no real world job experience and no dream job she’s shooting for, does it make sense to start college? WWYD?

Once upon a time I felt an education is never a waste of money even if you don't do anything with it. I no longer feel that way about college educations. I tell my children that if they are driven to pursue a career that requires a degree, I will support them in that pursuit and finance their education to the best of my ability. If not, best to avoid those overpriced liberal institutions and start exploring other career options they may enjoy.

amother

Sienna

Tue, May 04 2021, 9:20 pm

I would say skip college unless she has a clear specific degree she is trying to earn in order to make a living. I went to college and I feel it was mostly a waste of of time and money. And yes the liberal agenda and anti semitism was there and is even worse now.

nicole81

Tue, May 04 2021, 9:47 pm

Just to throw it out there because money is an issue... I don't know where you live, but the NYC community colleges are $5k/year for a full time course load. Interest rates are very low, and your dd can take Stafford loans and be on an income based repayment plan. So after a year or two, even if she decides it's not for her, if she's not making much money, she will be paying it back at a rate of as low as $50/month. I believe this is a rather low financial risk to take considering the potential upside.

queenert

Tue, May 04 2021, 9:50 pm

Didn't read the whole thread but in fields like growth or marketing, they value experience much more than a degree - and breaking in (at an entry level) has a low barrier.
(Job descriptions will often say you need a degree, but you don't if you have experience. And experience also builds a network which helps skip other prerequisites too.)

Growth/marketing kinds of jobs are more interesting than your typical office job, build up a skill set, and have good earning potential - so she should try for an internship/job at a software startups or DTC brand and start building up her resume. (An agency could work too, but the experience won't translate as well since there are so many agencies and some aren't very good.)

The field is broad enough to satisfy anyone - more creative types can do copy or design, more mathamatical types can do PPC or analytics. Etc.

They also have the added benefit of being VERY doable as a (motivated) freelancer or consultant. So if life throws something her way, she could still earn $$$ while working from home or part time or on a short leave or whatever.

That said, if she's the type who will decide in a few years that she wants something more medical or science-like (basically anything that really requires a degree), she should do a shortcut BA (cleps, sem credits, community college, etc.) in liberal arts or something else easy.

amother

Tangerine

Wed, May 05 2021, 9:35 am

You should also be aware that there is a tax credit for college tuition for the first 4 years of higher education. If you're not getting financial aid this may be very helpful. If your daughter is working and filing her own taxes while in school she likely will be eligible for it though you should of course check with an accountant. https://www.irs.gov/credits-de...../aotc